Yun Fu thought about what she said and felt that there was some truth in it. "You are right. I will make her angry like this in the future, and she can't refute me." Although he couldn't pull Concubine Bai down, he was happy to make her suffer a loss.
Yun Fu looked excitedly at the mastiff in the cage, ready to move. "Where did you find it?"
"Half a month ago, His Highness went to find someone who specializes in raising mastiffs and bought it for a large sum of money. It may look ferocious, but in fact, it will not attack anyone unless you provoke it." The mastiff had been raised in the East Palace for a few days, and Su Mengyan had even fed it.
"Look at how Concubine Bai looked just now. She was so scared that her face turned pale." Yun Fu had never seen Concubine Bai lose her composure in such an occasion, and he talked about it for a long time with relish.
After that, the ministers from various families presented gifts. Although Concubine Bai accepted them with a smile, her eyes were cold.
She only wanted to get rid of the annoying Yun Fu at the birthday banquet. Why did her daughter have to go to a place like Beiliang while they, her brother and sister, could still stay in the palace? However, Concubine Bai never expected that Situ Yao would give her such a shock, causing her to lose her composure in front of so many people. If she hadn't had to maintain a smile with so many people watching, she would probably have cursed.
By the time all the gifts had been delivered and the banquet was halfway through, the emperor was watching the dancers dancing in the hall with great interest, unaware of Concubine Bai's little plan.
"Your Majesty, I have something to discuss with you." Only when Concubine Bai used the word "discuss" did she not cause the Emperor's displeasure. She even asked cheerfully, "What is it? You are the birthday girl tonight. As long as it's not excessive, I can agree to it."
"This matter has nothing to do with me." Concubine Bai covered her mouth and laughed. Even though she already had a son and a daughter, she was still as beautiful as a little girl.
The emperor was completely captivated by her smile. He no longer cared about watching the dancers below. He grabbed her hand and asked, "It has nothing to do with my beloved concubine. What is it?"
"Your Majesty, have you forgotten that Princess Yunfu is of marriageable age, yet you haven't chosen a husband for her yet?" Noble Concubine Bai said with a worried look, like a common mistress. "Although Yunfu is a princess, if she becomes an old maid, no one will want her. So Your Majesty must arrange a marriage for her as soon as possible, otherwise the Crown Prince will be dissatisfied with you."
"How dare he! No matter what, I am his father. Does he want to kill his father?" The emperor roared angrily. After being instigated by Concubine Bai, he became even more dissatisfied with Situ Yao.
Concubine Bai quickly comforted her, "That's true, but we can't delay Yunfu's marriage, right? If we grant her the marriage as soon as possible, then nothing will happen. Your Majesty, do you think what I say is right?"
"Does my beloved concubine have a suitable candidate?" The emperor wanted to leave this matter to her. Concubine Bai smiled and said, "Your Majesty, what do you think of Baicheng?"
"Your nephew?" The emperor thought for a moment and said nothing.
"I'm about to become the Imperial Consort. Is it not unreasonable to ask for a marriage for my nephew?" Concubine Bai said this, and quickly added, "If Your Majesty doesn't think it's appropriate, there are other young talents. Yunfu can slowly choose until she is satisfied."
"After all, it's a matter of a lifetime, we can't be careless." Concubine Bai was very concerned and determined to choose a good son-in-law for Yunfu.
Although the emperor was incompetent, he was very clear about the basic checks and balances. He was well aware that Situ Zhao wanted to become the crown prince, and many veteran officials in the court were gradually turning to Situ Yao. Gradually, his prestige as emperor was waning. Therefore, he had to maintain a good balance between the two sides, while maintaining his position as the emperor with absolute power.
Marrying Yunfu into the Bai family would not harm him. The emperor thought about it and quickly nodded, saying, "My beloved concubine, your suggestion is very good. Baicheng is the legitimate son of the Prime Minister's Mansion and is a perfect match for Yunfu. I will issue an order immediately."
Concubine Bai was overjoyed, "Then I would like to thank Your Majesty on behalf of Bai Cheng."
The emperor raised his hand and had the dancers taken away. The hall instantly fell silent. Everyone looked at each other, waiting for what he was going to say.
"Today is my beloved concubine's birthday, and I have a gift for you." The emperor said, and then ordered the old eunuch serving beside him, "Changshun, go and get the drafted imperial edict."
An imperial edict? Everyone had different expressions, secretly guessing what it could be.
After Eunuch Changshun took the imperial edict, he received the emperor's order and read it out to the public, "By the will of Heaven, the Emperor decrees that Consort Bai is serene and gentle, beautiful and graceful, elegant and quiet, virtuous and prudent, and gentle and virtuous. She deeply comforts my heart. I hereby appoint her as Imperial Noble Consort. I decree it!"
"I accept your order and thank you." Concubine Bai knelt on the ground and took the imperial edict, with an unconcealable smile on her lips.
The others also followed suit in congratulations, and for a moment, the three words "Imperial Noble Consort" resounded throughout the entire hall.
Although it was just the addition of the word "Emperor", her status was significantly different from before. In addition, since there was no Empress Dowager or Empress in the harem, Concubine Bai had all the power and could win over the Emperor's heart, so it was very likely that she would become Empress in the future.
If that were the case, Situ Zhao would become the legitimate son. So because of the imperial edict, those wavering people began to make their own calculations again.
"The title of Imperial Noble Consort was probably earned through Princess Yun Ni's marriage." Su Mengyan could always see through things at a glance. She pulled Situ Yao's sleeve and asked, "Will it be more difficult in the future?"
Situ Yao removed the coldness in his eyes, took her hand and said, "It's okay, she won't be so proud for long."
"I believe Your Highness." Su Mengyan said with a smile. Despite this, she still felt a strong sense of unease in her heart, as if something big was about to happen.
After receiving the imperial edict, Concubine Bai quickly discussed the matter of marriage. She did not directly arrange a marriage for Yun Fu, but instead arranged marriages for the children of several ministers in the court.
Su Mengyan pondered the relationship for a while, and after asking Situ Yao, she realized that those people all supported Situ Zhao. Concubine Bai's arranged marriage would only make them more loyal to protect Prince Rui in the future.
"Speaking of which, Yunfu is also of marriageable age." Concubine Bai suddenly looked at Yunfu and deliberately asked her, "Does Yunfu have someone she likes?"
"Father, I don't want to get married yet." Yun Fu had known this would happen. She ignored Concubine Bai and spoke to the emperor calmly.
The emperor had already discussed this with Concubine Bai, so naturally he couldn't do as she wished. He pretended to be serious and said, "Although you are a princess, you can't stay in the palace forever."
"Father, I am Yunfu's brother. You should ask for my opinion on her marriage, Your Majesty, isn't that right?" Situ Yao's eyes were cold and warning.
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